Keeping the faith while keeping your job: harmonize your religious beliefs and the rules of the workplace.
Keeping the faith while keeping your job: harmonize your religious beliefs and the rules of the workplace. (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office receives complaints)
When his religious beliefs conflicted with NBA policies, Denver Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a devout Muslim, was suspended. Rauf had refused to stand during the playing of the national anthem, saying it went against his understanding of Islam. Eventually, after the controversy surfaced in the media, he reached a compromise with the NBA: He would stand for the flag but pray silently during the Pledge of Allegiance.
While Rauf's situation played out in grand proportions, many workers in America face less publicized standoffs between their religious beliefs and the edicts of the workplace. Almost 3,000 charges of religious discrimination were filed last year with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; this number represents less than 2% of all charges of discrimination filed with the EEOC. Still, religious discrimination is thought to be even more prevalent. Most instances are not reported, and many people simply quit their jobs, not knowing their legal rights.
